Dreaming of Hope
by AlantisB
Summary: One-Shot. Harry falls asleep during the summer before his fifth year and learns his true purpose.


 **Dreams of Hope**

By AlantisB

_"Rules and responsibilities: these are the ties that bind us. We do what we do, because of who we are. If we did otherwise, we would not be ourselves. I will do what I have to do. And I will do what I must." _

_–Dream of the Endless, THE SANDMAN_

I was dreaming. This time, the dream is not like the others I've had this summer. The dream is not about Voldemort returning or about Cedric's death. No guilt plaguing dreams grip my heart, squeezing me with despair as I struggle not to drown in the emotions washing over me. This one was different.

A large castle stood before me, not at all like Hogwarts yet at the same it was. Only, I didn't feel awed by an ancient building or how it was a place where I could be free from my so-called family. This castle was unlike any other I have ever heard of, yet, it is everything I heard a castle would be like in fairy tales. At the gate, the stairs leading into the grand castle, a hippogriff, a dragon, and a gryphon stood over the doorway to the entrance. The dragon lowered its long elegant neck and glared at me.

"Who are you, young dream?" He spoke, his words rumbled deep in his throat.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter." I do not why I said it so timidly, as if I caused a great offense for coming to a place that is clearly marked Do Not Enter. But the dragon paused, as if speaking to someone and nodded, growling softly in approval.

"You may enter. The Dream King has been expecting you. I am honor-bound to tell you do not stray from the path else you be lost in the Dreaming forever."

The doors opened and I walked into the castle, a great feeling of excitement washed over me. Something was yelling at me in my mind, telling me that this was no ordinary dream. That I was to really pay attention to what I see and hear in this grand castle, it was important for me to remember. I entered what looked to be a throne room, although it reminded me a bit of the Dursley's church. It had stain-glass windows and a large hall. But there was no alter or angels or any holy person pictures hanging around. It was just a large hall where a throne stood in the middle of it all.

"Welcome to the Heart of the Dreaming, Harry Potter. I am Dream."

On the throne a man in pure white clothes sat, looking at me with bottomless eyes. He looked washed out, as if all the colors had been drained of him. He had white hair and his skin was paler than anything I've ever seen. The only color on him was a pendent, an emerald stone sat on a linked chain from around his neck. He stared at me silently, as if expecting me to burst out into hysterics or something. I walked over to him and stopped just five feet away. 

"Nice to meet you, um, sir," God I sounded like a bloody idiot. Go me. Let's embarrass myself further, shall we?

Dream laced his fingers under his chin. He leaned forward and stared me directly in the eyes. "My sister has brought me to the attention of your dreams. Normally I wouldn't interfere for it isn't my place to take mortals from one of my family's realms but you are a special place.

It seems, Harry, you have stumbled into Despair's realm and have almost several times crossed into Death's. This is most unusual for no mortal can skip away from death as many times as you unless you were special. I took you from my sister and learned what has made you so special, young dream."

Great! Another reason why I was supposedly special, I was a hero and I was going to save the world. Now I have a strange guy in my dream telling me I'm different because I can walk from the despair realm and the death realm several times. I wonder what deity I pissed off to become the cosmic Kick-Me sign.

"All creatures begin in my realm, little dream, they were all once dreamed before they were created. Gods, demons, angels, the fey, elves, wizards; I have seen all created. I have also seen a Hero born, the occasional rare hero that is dreamed up by a people to save them from a great threat.

You are a dream, Harry; the dream of the witches and wizards all over the world for a single hope that shall lead them through their darkest days and save them all. I do not remember when you were thought of, but I remember the dream created. A young dream, you are, but an unusual one to the fact that you have lasted as long as you have.

Dreams are just that, Harry, a dream. You have formed into something different. You were that of which was not to be born, what will never be, and what will never come.

But now you, as all dreams, must come to an end. You have strayed from the Dreaming for far too long, and I fear the world will suffer from your presence. Humans need the hope, the dream, young dream, but they will never evolve without their resourcefulness. If you were allowed to defeat Voldemort, the world will not survive. Only the humans can defeat the threat, your job was to only gather their hope to build a strategy. You were not to become their plan.

Now the dream will end, and the humans will move on to defeat the foe without your help."

Then the pale man walked down from his throne and placed his hand onto my head. He smiled at me softly as he opened his arms to hug me. His white billowing robes encircled me like gentle caresses and I felt my eyelids droop as a great tired feeling came over me. The arms pulled me closer and I reached up to hug him back as I slipped away into blackness, finally getting the rest I deserved after completing my job.

And I dreamed of white light and soft caring voices, accompanied by the flapping sound of wings.

**End.**


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